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Blooper CentralWith great products like these, what could possibly go wrong? A lot. We take a look at the brands that stumbled as they rolled out new stuff in 2017. Ah well. Failure, as they say, is the stepping stone to success.
IMAGE: Courtesy AppleStarbucks Unicorn FrappThis colorful sparkly drink inspired thousands of Instagram posts during its five-day lifespan. It was also a cause of major anxiety for many baristas, who took to social media to express their frustrations and asked customers to skip the frenzy.
IMAGE: Courtesy StarbucksMoviePassAfter announcing its $10 per month subscription for unlimited movies, MoviePass’s subscriber base ballooned from 20,000 to over 600,000 in 3 months. Multiple accounts, however, report extensive delays to get their cards and a non-existent customer service.
IMAGE: moviepass.comPlexCoinThis digital currency promised to be better than Bitcoin, and raised nearly $15 million from eager investors in August. Fast-forward four months and it's currently under investigation by the SEC. Already its founder has been sentenced to 2 months in jail and fined $10,000 in Canada.
IMAGE: PlexCoin.comiPhone 8Its launch day was unlike anything you’ve come to expect from Apple. The familiar never-ending lines were nowhere to be seen, mostly because people opted to wait for the iPhone X instead. As demand fell short of expectations, Apple is reportedly slashing its production in 2018.
Tesla Model 3Elon Musk crossed one key item from his bold multi-part master plan in July, after Tesla started producing the more affordable Model 3. The thing is the company has been fighting against “production hell.” It only made 260 cars of the estimated 1,500 in its third quarter.
IMAGE: Courtesy TeslaGoogle Home MiniGoogle knows how to build software. Now, hardware on the other hand? The company rolled out its Google Home Mini with a touch control that recorded audio even without a prompt. Google solved the issue by permanently disabling the offending button.
IMAGE: Courtesy GoogleStarbucks Pumpkin Spice LatteStrike two, Starbucks. You know fall is here once pumpkin spice pops up everywhere you turn. That’s why some customers were annoyed when the popular autumn drink suffered a botched rollout this year, with stores making it available on different dates.
IMAGE: Courtesy StarSnapchat Countdown ClockEvan Spiegel’s company wanted to build hype around its new partnership with artist Jeff Koons. A mysterious URL “art.snapchat.com” teased a countdown clock. Unfortunately, users could take a peek by simply changing their computer clock forward. Oopsie!
Apple's High Sierra 'root' bugApple released a new operating system to go along with its new gadget line. Surprisingly, it came with a major security flaw that allowed hackers to access your computer without a password. Thankfully, it has since been patched up.
Lily DroneThis one is in a category of its own. Even with $34 million in pre-orders this self-flying drone never actually materialized. After numerous delays, the company closed up shop and soon after was hit with a lawsuit alleging false advertising. It is the launch that never was.
IMAGE: Courtesy Mota Group, Inc.REORDERMore Slideshows
